


Runaway

by Gooseberrybrains



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Muggle, Artist Remus Lupin, Geeky James Potter, High School age characters, M/M, Mentions of past child abuse, Runaway Sirius Black, Skateboarding Sirius, Street Punk Remus Lupin, Urban Youths, street art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-06-28 07:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19807636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gooseberrybrains/pseuds/Gooseberrybrains
Summary: Remus looked him up and down, a sneer curling his lips. “So what, then? You’re just another rich boy who wants to rebel against his parents?”***Sirius runs away from home and bumps into Remus, a sarcastic punk with an attitude problem. Sirius just wants to enjoy his life now that he is no longer under his parent's roof, but life seems to have other plans, mostly involving Remus.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! This story started out as a drabble on my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/gooseberrybrains) and as you can see, it grew into something much larger. I'm not sure how many chapters this is going to be, but I'd guess around 5ish. I'm going to try to update it pretty regularly, aiming for about once a week.

**1.**

Sirius flew out the front door of his family’s colonial like he was being chased by the hounds of hell. Close enough, anyway, he thought as his mother’s shrill voice was cut off by the slamming of the door. He didn’t stop running until he was several blocks away and he was sure that his parents hadn’t followed him. He braced his hands on his knees, breathing hard and trying to calm his racing heart. Sirius knew he was in real trouble this time. He hadn’t taken anything with him, but he couldn’t go back. 

Sirius heard a scraping sound that jerked his head up in surprise. There was a boy in the alley with him, leaning against the bricks and smoking a cigarette. He had curly brown hair that hung in his eyes and a slightly crooked nose that looked like it had been broken before. The cigarette dangled precariously between his lips as he looked Sirius over. 

The boy raised an eyebrow at Sirius when he caught him staring. “Training for a marathon, are you?” he asked, a tinge of sarcasm underlining his words. 

“What?” Sirius asked in confusion. 

The boy waved a careless hand at him. “The running, the gasping for breath.” 

“No, I- I ran away from home. I thought they might have been chasing me,” Sirius said, though he didn’t know why he was explaining himself to this stranger. 

The boy furrowed his brow. “What kind of home do you live in where you are worried about people chasing you?”

Sirius swallowed with effort and looked away from the boy’s beautiful face when he answered. “A bad one. I’m not going back.”

The boy nodded and dug in his pocket for his pack of Lucky Strikes. He withdrew a cigarette from the dented carton and shoved the rest back in his jeans. Sirius watched him curiously as he lit it using the cherry from the one that had been resting between his lips. The boy closed the small space between them and held the newly lit cigarette out to him. Sirius accepted it slowly, the question in his eyes plain.

“Figured you could use one,” the boy said with a shrug. “If you don’t want it, I’ll take it back.”

“No,” Sirius said quickly. “I do want it. Thank you.” He brought the cigarette up to his lips and took a deep drag on it, keeping his eyes on the stranger all the while. He blew out a slow plume of smoke and smiled. “I’m Sirius,” he said, extending his hand.

The boy grasped his hand, a smile of his own playing across his face. “Remus. Nice to meet you.”

Sirius nodded, taking another drag of his cigarette. 

“So if you’re not going back home, what are you gonna do?” Remus asked, though Sirius didn’t think he sounded all that interested. 

He shrugged. “Dunno. I didn’t really get that far. I have an uncle that might help me. I’ll probably ask him,” Sirius said slowly, creating a plan as he spoke. “My cousin Andi would help too, but I don’t want to burden her. She has enough on her plate.”

Remus snorted. “At least you have people you can ask for help.”

Sirius looked at him curiously. “Why? Don’t you get help from your family?”

“I don’t have any family. I don’t need help from anyone either.” Remus scoffed indignantly.

Sirius shrugged again, unsure how to respond. He leaned back against the brick wall and stubbed his cigarette out against the mortar. “What school do you go to?” he asked suddenly. “You’ve got to be my age, but I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

“I’m sixteen,” Remus said. “I go to Central, but don’t spend much time hanging around there when I don’t have to. You?”

“Same,” Sirius agreed. “Though, I guess I do spend more time there. My brother is a freshman.”

Remus raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You have a brother? Left him behind too, did ya?”

“It’s not like that!” Sirius said angrily. “He wouldn’t have come anyway. Our parents actually _like_ him.”

Remus looked him up and down, a sneer curling his lips. “So what, then? You’re just another rich boy who wants to rebel against his parents?”

“Fuck you!” Sirius spat. “You know fuck all about my life!”

“Some things speak for themselves. Like your clothes, for example. That jacket must have cost a couple hundred at least.” 

“Whatever,” Sirius muttered. 

He shoved his hands in the pockets of said jacket and started walking away. It was a long walk to his uncle’s house, as Sirius didn’t even have the few bucks to take the bus. It would probably be dark soon too, and he had fled into one of the more rundown parts of the city. He didn’t relish the idea of walking these streets after dark. Remus, that punk, probably lived around here too, Sirius thought rather uncharitably. 

Once he had reached Waterman St and saw the familiar shops and restaurants lining the sidewalk, he let out a sigh of relief. He was in familiar territory now. The East Side had always been his favorite part of the city, and he had always loved coming to visit his uncle here for more reasons than just the safe haven it provided. There was a great music store just a few streets over from his uncle’s house, and his favorite sandwich shop was nearby too. As he passed the University bookstore he quickened his step-- only a few streets away now.

He turned onto Elmgrove Ave and jogged the last few blocks to number 722. Sirius looked up at the stately Tudor style home with a brief moment of apprehension before walking up the stone pathway to the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited, shifting his weight from foot to foot. The door swung open, his uncle standing on the other side with a surprised look on his face.

“Hey, Uncle Alphard. I, uh, need a place to stay.”

Alphard stepped back, holding the door open for Sirius to enter, and ushered him into the kitchen. His uncle was a tall, thin man with shoulder length black hair though it was starting to gray at the temples. He had a tight beard and piercing gray eyes that matched Sirius’ own. Alphard had always been considered the eccentric one in the family, and as such he normally kept himself out of the family gatherings. He and Sirius had always gotten along well, however, and there had been many times that Sirius had escaped to his home on the East Side when he needed to get away from the suffocating atmosphere at his house.

Sirius sat down on a stool in front of the kitchen island and watched his uncle pour him a glass of water. He gulped it all down in a few swallows, realizing suddenly how incredibly thirsty he was. Alphard refilled the glass and waited for Sirius to finish drinking before he spoke.

“Tell me what happened,” his uncle said quietly.

Sirius sighed and looked down at his hands. “I took off, and it’s gotta be for good this time. I was hoping I could live here.” He chanced a look up at Alphard through his hair, and bit his lip nervously. “I can ask Andi if you don’t want…”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sirius. Of course you can stay with me,” Alphard interrupted him. He gestured at the space around himself. “I live in this huge house by myself. There are five bedrooms for crying out loud! I think I can spare one.”

Sirius grinned. “Thanks, Uncle Alphard. I just thought you might not want to deal with the wrath of my parents. They are probably gonna be pissed.”

Alphard scoffed. “When isn’t Walburga pissed about something? There’s nothing she can say or do to me, Sirius. She knows that she doesn’t have a leg to stand on if I were to bring her up on charges.”

Sirius winced. “I don’t want you to--”

“I know, and I promised you I wouldn’t. I intend to keep that promise, but your mother doesn’t know that. She will be eager to avoid the bad press and potential jail time, I’m sure. In fact, I doubt she says anything at all,” Alphard placated him, putting a comforting hand on Sirius’ shoulder. “Now, it looks to me as though you ran out of the house without any of your belongings. You can borrow some clothes until I can take you shopping, perhaps tomorrow.”

Sirius nodded gratefully. “Thank you.”

The following day, Uncle Alphard took Sirius to the mall and insisted on purchasing him a whole new wardrobe. After that, they went to Civil Skateboard and Sirius picked out a new custom board to replace the one his mother had smashed the day he ran off. It was a beautiful Bamboo deck with Spitfire Formula red and white wheels to match. It was actually much nicer than his old one, and Sirius couldn’t wait to try it out. 

As much as it disappointed him, he knew that would have to wait until after school tomorrow. By the time they had finished their shopping, it was dinner time and his uncle was quite insistent that they go out for a proper meal. Sirius could hardly turn him down after all he had already done for him today, and besides, he _was_ starving. 

Once they got home for the night, it was nearly nine o’clock and Sirius was exhausted. He forced himself to put away his new clothes and toiletries, plus a few other odds and ends his uncle had purchased for him. He took a shower and fell into bed, setting the alarm on his new iPhone before falling asleep.

  


~*~*~*~

  


Remus was quite good at sneaking around. He did it often, and he was doing it right now. It’s not that he wasn’t allowed to leave the home. He was, but only in specific, controlled circumstances. If he was going to his part time job at Dunkin, for example. He, of course, also left to go to school every morning, and he could go out in the afternoon if he wanted to. The catch, in all of these situations, was that he had to tell one of the aides where he was going and had to submit to a bag search. He was sneaking right now because it was almost time for curfew so he likely wouldn’t be allowed out, and he didn’t want anyone looking in his backpack.

Remus dropped his backpack out of the small window in the bathroom. He hoisted himself up on the narrow sill next and stuck his legs through. He shimmied his body through the thin gap, and let himself drop the five or so feet to the ground. Remus made sure to reach up and close it, leaving it cracked just slightly so he had a way back in later. He shouldered his bag and took off running toward the street. 

Once he was a couple blocks away, he slowed his pace but continued on his path to the bus stop. It was a forty minute bus ride to the skate park which would put him there around eight. He spent the time on the bus going over his sketches to make sure he knew what order he was using the colors in and that he had the stencils he needed. Stencils was a fancy term for what they were, really, since they were just pieces of cardboard that Remus had cut into various geometric shapes. They were very simple, but fulfilled their purpose, giving him clean edges where he needed them. It was important that he be well organized and know exactly what he needed and in what order. Time would be of the essence once he got started, as he didn’t want to get caught and picked up by the police.

When the bus finally reached the stop near The Conservancy, Remus trotted down the steps and took the path that led to the skate park. It was dark now, and the lights were off in the park as it closed at dusk. There weren’t any people around that Remus could see, so he made his way around the back of the tallest halfpipe. He should have plenty of space here. He set down his bag and crouched over it, pulling out his supplies-- cardboard stencils, cans of spray paint, and these neat paint markers that he stole from the local art supply store. They would be perfect for the detail work he needed to do on this piece. 

Once he had everything laid out the way he wanted it, Remus picked up a can of black and started working to cover the entire canvas of concrete in front of him. It took several of his black cans to accomplish that. Then he switched to several shades of dark blue, using his stencils where he needed a sharp line or curve. Not for the first time, he lamented the fact that he couldn’t afford more colors. One of these days, he would love to be able to create a really colorful piece, like one of Farid Rueda’s murals. For now though, Remus settled for big sweeping strokes of navy blue accented with a lighter royal blue with bursts of yellow thrown in. He had to admit, the yellow looked bold and bright against the darker backdrop. 

Remus was working quickly, with only the light from the full moon as illumination, and he was lost in his art. He wasn’t really aware of the world around him, just the dripping yellow stars that he was painting onto the wolf’s back. Painting was one of the only things that could make him feel free and ease the weight that was constantly pressing down upon him. He had just finished applying the detail to the wolf’s yellow eyes when he heard a voice behind him.

“Vandalism, huh? That fucking figures.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus paints and Sirius skateboards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to my wonderful betas, pixelated and moonllotus. They have put up with my complaining and edited this chapter quickly for me so I could post it. Hope you like it!

**2.**

  


Nothing about this day was going the way Sirius wanted it to. It hadn’t occurred to him that the bus wouldn’t know to pick him up at his uncle’s house. By the time he realized that, Alphard had already left for the day. Sirius had been forced to run to catch the next public bus that would take him to his high school. Consequently, he started his school day an hour late and got a detention for his trouble. If that wasn’t enough to put him in a bad mood, he had a run in with his brother at lunch. Normally, he and his brother got along quite well, but Regulus was pissed that Sirius had left. He considered it ‘ _disgraceful’_ and ‘ _abandoning the family’_. Those had been just a few of the insults he had hurled at Sirius in front of the students in the crowded cafeteria. Sirius had then lost his temper and threw a punch at his brother. This had resulted in an afternoon spent in the principal’s office and another week’s worth of detentions. 

Once Sirius had been allowed to leave, it had been nearing five o’clock and he had to catch another public bus back to his uncle’s house. Then he had been obligated to have dinner with Uncle Alphard and explain to him both the detentions and the black eye he was sporting. 

This whole series of events led to it being nearly eight at night by the time he was able to grab his skateboard and catch a bus to the park. It was well past time that the park would be closed, but Sirius didn’t care. He had been looking forward to taking his new board for a spin all day, and wasn’t going to let a little detail like that stop him. 

Sirius hopped off the bus and strolled casually down the sidewalk until the bus was out of sight. With a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, he climbed the gate that led into the skate park, and followed the path on the other side. 

He had just circled around the largest ramp to take the stairs to the top when he froze in surprise. There was a boy spray painting the wall in front of him. At first Sirius thought he was just tagging it with the usual graffiti, but as he walked closer it became obvious that it was something much more elaborate. The boy was making both wide strokes and small details with the paint, and Sirius could see that he had an assortment of things spread out on the ground in front of him. 

He stepped closer still, curious to see what the boy was creating, when he realized that the figure in front of him looked familiar. He recognized that shaggy, curly hair and worn out hoodie. It was Remus, the boy from the alley. Sirius felt a spike of irritation shoot through him. Of course he couldn’t even have his peace here after all the other bullshit today. 

“Vandalism, huh? That fucking figures,” Sirius said with a sharp edge to his voice. 

Remus whirled around, eyes wide in shock only for a moment before he schooled his features into a bored expression. “What’s it to you?”

Sirius shrugged. “Nothing. I just figured you were a delinquent. Looks like I was right.”

Remus raised an eyebrow at him. “So are you gonna call the cops then?”

“What?” Sirius asked taken aback. “No, of course not.”

“Right. Fuck off then,” Remus said bluntly, crouching down and shoving his things back in his bag. 

“ _You_ fuck off,” Sirius snapped. “I actually came here to skate.”

Remus stopped packing and looked him over in a way that suggested he found him lacking. “Like you can skate,” he scoffed. “Probably had mommy buy you that shiny new board just so you could carry it around.”

Sirius’ anger spiked and he dropped his skateboard to haul Remus up by his collar before he even realized he was doing it. Remus didn’t flinch or react in anyway other than to blink slowly at him.

“Did I hurt your feelings?” he mocked. “Are you gonna hit me? It looks like you’ve already lost one fight today.”

Sirius growled in frustration and shoved Remus away, hard enough to make him stumble. He picked up his skateboard and climbed up to the top of the ramp. “I’ll show you skating, asshole.”

  


~*~*~*~

  


Remus watched Sirius make his way up the ramp with more interest than he was willing to admit to. He told himself that it was just because he wanted to watch the pretty, rich boy fall on his ass. Regardless, he walked around to the side of the ramp where he could see the whole halfpipe, and crossed his arms over his chest. Sirius placed his board at the edge of the drop and put one foot on it. Remus had to admit that he didn’t _look_ like a poser that didn’t know how to skate right now. Then Sirius pushed off over the side and he flew down the ramp with an ease that proved he definitely knew what he was doing. When he reached the opposing side, he let the momentum take him up and over, grabbing the edge of the wall with one hand and the board with the other in an impressive sort of one-armed handstand. He dropped back down, board back underneath his feet, and sailed across the halfpipe again without missing a beat. 

Remus’ eyes followed Sirius back and forth as his hair whipped out behind him, watching every flip and trick he perfectly executed. He realized that he was impressed by this arrogant rich boy, and was immediately annoyed with himself for it. Still, he kept looking until there was one moment, a hitch in Sirius’ maneuvering, where he missed the trick and fell, sliding down the halfpipe on his stomach with his board rolling behind him. Sirius didn’t get up right away, and Remus-- more out of curiosity than anything he told himself-- walked across the ramp to him. Sirius was still facedown on the concrete, groaning softly in pain. His shirt had ridden up during his fall, and was bunched up around his ribcage. Remus took in a sharp breath when he saw a multitude of dark purplish bruising on his torso.

“What the fuck?” Remus whispered, kneeling down next to Sirius.

“I’m fine,” Sirius mumbled, pushing himself up on his hands and knees. He sat back on his thighs and adjusted his shirt. “Falls are part of skateboarding. No big deal.”

“Not that,” Remus said irritably. He gestured at the bruises, now hidden by Sirius’ shirt. “I’m surprised you can skate at all like that, never mind the tricks you were doing.”

Sirius shrugged. “You get used to it.”

“That’s… really fucked up.”

Sirius laughed quietly. “Tell me about it.”

Remus was suddenly aware that he was kneeling very close to Sirius, and he scrambled to his feet not wanting to appear soft. Sirius got up much more slowly, retrieving his skateboard before leaping off the side of the ramp. Remus followed after him, returning to the back of the halfpipe to get his backpack. Sirius had trailed behind him and when Remus turned around, he was standing there looking up at the mural. 

“It is really cool, you know,” Sirius admitted. 

Remus smiled, a slight curl to his lips. “I know.” He paused awkwardly. “You’re actually really talented with that.” He pointed at the skateboard Sirius was holding under his arm. 

“I know,” Sirius said, a wide smile on his face.

Remus shook his head, chuckling slightly and hefted his bag onto his shoulder. “I should go.” He started walking away when a thought occurred to him and he turned back. “Did your uncle let you stay with him?”

Sirius nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah.”

“Good,” Remus said simply and started walking again. He had to get back to the group home before they noticed he was missing. It was nearly ten o’clock now, and he was running the risk of being caught if they decided to do a random bed check on his room. He jogged toward the bus stop. The next one would arrive any minute now, and he had to be on it.

  


~*~*~*~

  


On Friday afternoon, Remus was working his usual shift at Dunkin’. He was moving on autopilot, pouring coffee and steaming milk for lattes without having to think about it. Instead, his mind was occupied by a certain dark-haired skateboarder. He had, at this point, admitted to himself that he had been at least partially wrong about him. Sirius might be from a wealthy family, but he certainly hadn’t been spoiled if the damage to his ribs was any indication. Remus couldn’t blame him for wanting to leave that behind. Still, it wasn’t thoughts of Sirius’ home life that kept repeating through Remus’ head. He was picturing the graceful way Sirius had flown through the air on his skateboard, and how strong he had looked executing those tricks. He had a nice smile, Remus realized, full lips and perfect teeth and--

“Fuck!” Remus hissed, both pain and alarm surging through him. He had jerked back in surprise while he was making a customer’s latte and sloshed the scalding milk over his hand. That wasn’t even the real problem though. He quickly made an excuse to his coworkers and ran to the bathroom before he could embarrass himself further. Remus closed the door behind him and locked it, leaning back against the wood and trying to slow his racing heart. His hand hurt, but that was the least of his worries right now. He was much more concerned with the raging hard on pressing uncomfortably against his slim fit jeans. 

After several deep breaths, a few minutes running cold water over his hand, and a lengthy lecture delivered to his dick about behaving, Remus finally emerged from the bathroom. When he walked back around the corner he nearly groaned in agitation. There was Sirius standing at the counter. He had just accepted his change and was turning to leave when he saw Remus watching him. A smile lit up Sirius’ face, and Remus nearly groaned again. 

“Remus! I didn’t know you worked here,” Sirius exclaimed, waving his iced coffee for emphasis. 

Remus nodded, trying to look casual. “Uh, yeah. This is where I work,” he said stupidly. 

“Well, I’m glad I ran into you again! Do you have a few minutes?” 

“Um, sure. I can take my break now, I guess.” Remus signaled this to his coworker behind the counter and followed Sirius to a table. 

He had no idea why he was taking his break now. It was only an hour into his six hour shift, making it a stupid idea. In any case, he sat down across from Sirius and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 

Sirius flashed another dazzling smile at him and opened up the bag he had been carrying. He pulled out a Boston cream donut and took a big bite. “So I’m glad I ran into you again,” he said after swallowing the confection. “My friend Marlene told me about this party some dude is throwing tomorrow night. You should come.” 

Remus wrinkled his brow. “You’re inviting me to someone else’s party?”

Sirius shrugged. “Well, yeah. It’s gonna be huge. This dude lives on the East Side in a giant house. _Everyone_ is inviting other people.”

“Is he a friend of yours?” 

“Umm, no. He goes to Moses Brown, name’s Potter, I think.” Sirius said thoughtfully, before licking some of the cream from his donut in what Remus thought was a rather obscene manner. 

Remus choked and quickly turned it into a cough. “You, uh, got some on your lip,” he said in a strained voice. 

“Whoops,” Sirius laughed. He wiped a finger across his lower lip and then stuck it in his mouth. 

Remus felt his face get hot, and hoped like hell that he wasn’t turning red as well. God, what was _wrong_ with him today? And why did Sirius have to be so damn pretty?

“So,” he said loudly, more to try and distract himself from the way Sirius was eating that donut than anything else. “What time is this party?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://tumblr.com/blog/gooseberrybrains).


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Sirius go to the party at the Potter house. There are drunken graffiti shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I am doing my best to keep the updates coming so here is another one. As always, a huge thank you to my wonderful betas, pixelated and moonllotus.

**3.**

  
  


The Potter residence was located on Arlington Ave, about a thirty minute walk from Alphard’s home. It was a huge, white Colonial style house with a pillared wrap around porch that stood three stories tall. Normally, it would give off a stately vibe, but at the moment it appeared to be overflowing with people. Sirius trotted up the front steps, looking around for any sign of his friends in the crowd. He found Marlene once he entered the house. With her blonde hair and bright red lipstick she stood out, even though she was leaning against the staircase like she didn’t have a care in the world. She flashed him a smile full of perfect white teeth when he approached, dismissing the boy she had been talking to with a wave of her hand. 

“Sirius!” She exclaimed, giving him a hug. “You made it!”

He laughed. “Of course, Marls. You know me, I never miss a party.” Sirius looked around, trying to spot Remus amongst the partygoers. “You haven’t seen a skinny kid with curly brown hair and green eyes anywhere have you?

Marlene shook her head. “Not ringing a bell. Should I know him?”

Sirius shrugged. “His name is Remus, he goes to our school though I’ve never actually seen him there. Met him a few times on the street, he seems cool.”

Marlene narrowed her eyes at him as she watched him scan the room and took in the stiff way he was standing. “You have a thing for him, don’t you?”

“Ssssshhhhhhh!” Sirius shushed her quickly, and grabbed her arm to tug her closer. “I don’t want him to hear you! I don’t even know if I’m his  _ type.”  _

She rolled her eyes at him. “It’s not like he’s standing right here,” she pointed out, gesturing to the space next to them. Her eyes fell on the front door and she smirked. “Although, it looks like your hottie has just made an appearance.”

Sirius spun around and froze, staring at the door. Remus was standing in the threshold wearing a navy blue sweater and slim fit jeans, looking nervous and out of place as he scanned the room. His gaze fell on Sirius and a relieved smile lit up his face. He brushed a curl out of his eyes and started walking toward them.

Marlene pinched Sirius. “Oh yes, you aren’t his type at all,” she said with heavy sarcasm. “He’s only eye fucking you right now.”

“Shut up,” Sirius hissed before grinning at the approaching Remus. “Remus! Glad you found the place alright.”

Remus smiled wryly. “It’s kinda hard to miss. You weren’t kidding when you said this kid was loaded.”

Marlene cleared her throat pointedly and glared at Sirius. “Right. Remus, this is my friend Marlene. She’s the one who told me about the party.”

Remus nodded at her with a small smile before he glanced back at Sirius. “Do they have any drinks in this place?”

“Oh, I’m sure they do. I just got here myself so I haven’t looked around yet. Come on.” He grabbed Remus by the sleeve and started pulling him toward the next room, calling out to Marlene as an afterthought. “See ya, Marly!”

A few hours, half a dozen beers, and half a bottle of Jack Daniels split between them later, Sirius and Remus were outside sitting in a couple of adirondack chairs. They were looking up at the stars, or rather Remus was looking up at the stars. Sirius was only looking at Remus. He looked beautiful tonight, Sirius thought. His pale skin looked striking against the dark blue of his sweater and his curls were hanging in his eyes again. 

Sirius leaned in, wanting to kiss him, but instead he pointed up at the night sky. “That’s me, there. The star I was named after, in Canis Major.” He was closer to Remus than necessary, his breath puffing out against his throat as he spoke. He almost thought he saw Remus shiver, though it was probably his imagination, or maybe the cool October air.

“The brightest star in the sky,” Remus murmured. “Very fitting.” 

He turned to look at Sirius then, unfocused eyes in a flushed face that somehow seemed to make him that much more attractive. Perhaps that was the whiskey talking. Either way, Sirius didn’t think he had ever wanted to kiss someone as much as he wanted to kiss Remus right then. They were still sitting very close together, it wouldn’t be hard to just lean in and...

Remus glanced around and then beckoned Sirius closer in a conspiratorial manner that was exaggerated by his drunkenness. “I have some of those paint markers in my pocket.”

Sirius wrinkled his nose in confusion. “Okay?”

Remus rolled his eyes. “Soooo… let’s paint something on this ridiculous monstrosity of a house.” 

Sirius laughed loudly and then sobered when he realized Remus was watching him with a straight face. “Wait, you’re serious?”

“No,  _ you’re _ Sirius.” Remus booped him on the nose and then dug into his pockets, coming out with several markers. 

Sirius chuckled and shook his head. “You are plastered. Why do you even have those with you?”

“Never know when you’re gonna wanna paint something,” Remus slurred with a shrug. 

“Okay then, let’s do it,” Sirius grinned and snatched a marker from Remus’ outstretched hand. “What should we make?”

“How about a big dick?” a new voice asked from behind them. 

Both boys jumped and turned around. There was a nerdy looking kid standing there, his wavy black hair standing up in every direction and thick plastic framed glasses sliding down his nose. He grinned at them. “You’re talking about drawing on the house, right?” He gestured to the innocent white siding on the house next to them. 

“Uh, yeah?” Sirius said, a bit confused by this newcomer’s enthusiasm. 

“Awesome!” the boy exclaimed, grabbing a marker from Remus. “Let me help.”

Sirius and Remus exchanged uncertain glances then shrugged at each other, joining the new kid at the wall. The three of them drew in silence except for the occasional giggle, knocking shoulders together and trying to push each other off balance. When they finished, they stood back and admired their masterpiece, only to startle when a feminine voice cut through the air. 

“Potter!”

The three boys spun around to see a girl with long, flaming red hair running toward them. She stopped short when she saw the huge, veiny cock scrawled on the side of the house. Her mouth fell open in shock, and she gaped at them. “James! What did you do?”

The boy— James— shrugged at her before answering her question with a question. “Did you need something, Lily?”

Lily narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips in suspicion before she decided she was better off ignoring the painted dick. “Mary has passed out in one of the bathrooms. I need your help moving her to a bedroom.”

James sighed, running his hand through his messy hair. “Alright, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Lily took off jogging back around the house, and when James turned back to Sirius and Remus they were staring at him in disbelief. 

“ _ You’re _ James Potter?” Sirius asked.

At James’ nod, Remus waved a hand toward the cock ejaculating on the white siding. “Dude, you painted a dick on your own house. That’s fucked up.”

“Your parents are gonna kill you,” Sirius crowed in amazement.

“Nah, they’ll never even know it was me. Besides, it’s worth it. That is fucking hilarious,” James snorted, pointing at the hairy balls hanging beneath the aforementioned cock. “Well, it’s been fun, but I gotta go help Lily.” He pointed back toward the front door and gave them an awkward wave before he turned away.

Sirius and Remus looked at each other, smiles growing on their faces until they were laughing and leaning against each other. “I can’t believe that he just helped us draw a huge cock on his own house,” Sirius gasped.

Remus gave the cock an appraising look. “It is most definitely the most epic cock I have ever painted.”

Sirius snorted and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “Come on, let’s take a selfie in front of it.”

Remus rolled his eyes but allowed Sirius to sling an arm around his shoulders as he held the phone out in front of them. Sirius lowered his phone and reluctantly removed his arm from Remus once the picture was taken. He looked at the screen and laughed. “Want me to send it to you?” he asked. “What’s your number?”

Remus flushed a darker red from the pink tint he had been sporting half the night. “I, uh, don’t have a phone.” 

“Oh!” Sirius said in surprise. “That’s okay. I can print a copy for you.”

“Whatever,” Remus shrugged casually. “Hey, what time is it?”

Sirius glanced down at his phone again. “Almost one.”

“Fuck!” Remus swore loudly. “Fuck, I missed the last bus. It will take me at least an hour and a half to walk back.” He rubbed his hands over his face in agitation.

“Hey, it’s ok,” Sirius said soothingly. “You can crash at my uncle’s place tonight. He won’t mind, and he has plenty of extra bedrooms.”

Remus dropped his hands from his face and looked at Sirius. “Really?”

  
  


~*~*~*~

  
  
  


The entire walk to Sirius’ house, Remus was questioning his sanity. He didn’t know what he was thinking, really. Even sleeping in separate bedrooms, he couldn’t help but think it was a bad idea to be so close to Sirius. Not when he couldn’t seem to control his reactions around the boy. From the second he walked through the door and saw him leaning against the railing talking to that blonde, his common sense had checked out. Sirius looked absolutely stunning in his usual black leather jacket and snug black jeans, and the fact that it was him that Remus couldn’t keep his eyes off rather than the blonde bombshell he was with was alarming. Then there were all the little touches making him want to jump out of his own skin. Sirius kept brushing his arm or his back in small, innocent gestures that he likely didn’t even realize he was doing. Then he would lean in to say something and his breath against Remus’ skin would make him shiver. It had been driving him crazy, and he had no idea why. It was all he could do to act normal, and he definitely drank more than he had intended just trying to distract himself.

When they stopped in front of a large tudor style house, Remus gaped at him. “ _ This _ is your uncle’s house? Jesus, I was right when I called you a rich boy.”

Sirius shrugged noncommittally. “Yeah, I guess. My family comes from old money, so they never had to work a day in their lives. I’m lucky that Alphard took me in. My cousin Andi was disowned by her parents when she married a guy they didn’t approve of.”

“Wow,” Remus muttered, mostly because he didn’t know what else to say.

Sirius led the way up the front walk and paused at the door. He looked at his phone and then back at Remus. “My uncle might still be awake, so we’ll just swing through the living room first.”

They entered the house and could hear the tv faintly so they made their way down the hall. Remus was trying his best not to stare at his surroundings but counting the Potter house from earlier, this was only the second time in his life that he had been in such a nice house. Sirius’ uncle turned out to be an older, more distinguished looking version of Sirius, Remus thought. He stood and greeted Remus with much more kindness than he ever expected from adults. It also turned out that Sirius had been right when he said his uncle wouldn’t mind if Remus stayed at his home. There was just one catch.

“Of course you can sleep here, Remus. It’s not a good idea to be walking across the city this late at night,” Alphard said. “Just one thing though. There aren’t actually any beds in the other guest rooms. I’ve never had need for them so they have remained empty. Perhaps I should remedy that now that your friends are likely to be staying with us from time to time. For tonight though, Remus, you can stay with Sirius or on the sofa.”

Remus’ foggy mind barely had time to make sense of all that before Sirius was dragging him out of the room and up the stairs. 

“I’m not gonna make you sleep on the couch. My bed is huge, anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I’m horrible for leaving it there! I’ll get the next chapter out quick, I promise.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bed sharing ahead!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I have to thank my wonderful betas, pixelated & moonllotus. Also, thank you to my lovely readers! The response, I’ve been getting on this story warms my heart. It’s definitely going to end up being longer than the predicted 5 chapters but I’m not sure by how much yet. Enjoy!

Well, Remus thought, as least Sirius hadn’t been lying— his bed  _ was _ big. Maybe a king or a queen, he wasn’t sure as he had only ever slept in his twin at the group home. Thing was, it could have been the size of a football field and it still would have felt too small for Remus right then. He was lying on his back as close to the edge of the bed as possible, and he could still feel Sirius’ body heat like a brand against his skin. Sirius himself was clearly not having any trouble with this arrangement. He was sprawled across the bed, and Remus was pretty sure that was Sirius’ hand pressing against his thigh. He was trying desperately not to focus on it, though this was difficult since his alcohol sodden brain was refusing to cooperate with him. 

Maybe he could move Sirius’ hand? He was pretty sure that Sirius was asleep already and would never notice. Remus slowly reached down and grasped Sirius’ hand in his own, bringing his arm up to waist level when he paused. Now what?  _ What the fuck did he do with it now?  _ Jesus, he did not think this through. 

“Remus,” Sirius murmured sleepily, effectively freezing Remus’ blood in his body. “Are you holding my hand?”

He didn’t think he had ever cringed so hard in his life. “Uhhh, yes?”

“Just checking. Thought I might have been dreaming,” Sirius mumbled and snuggled in closer to Remus. 

It would be an understatement to say that Remus was paralyzed with shock. There he was, still holding Sirius’ hand, with said boy’s breath hot against his neck. He didn’t know what to do, but his traitorous body sure seemed to have ideas of its own. 

“Umm, Sirius?” Remus whispered tentatively. 

“Mmm?”

“Do you think you could move over a bit? I’m right on the edge of the bed.”

Sirius grumbled and rolled away from him and Remus would have been relieved except for one thing. They were still holding hands, and at some point Sirius had also fisted his other hand into Remus’ shirt. This meant that when Sirius rolled away Remus was yanked with him, and he suddenly found himself pressed very intimately up against Sirius. Remus froze. Sirius froze. 

“Shit! I’m sorry!” Remus tried to scramble back and jump off the bed. He didn’t get far because Sirius was still clutching his T-shirt. 

“Wait! Remus, it’s okay,” Sirius said, not loosening his death grip on Remus’ shirt. 

Remus laughed in disbelief. “It’s okay that I have a hard on in your bed?”

They were both kneeling on the mattress, staring at one another. Remus’ face was hot with mortification, but Sirius still wouldn’t let go of him. He clenched his fists and looked away, jaw tight. 

“Well, yeah,” Sirius agreed. “I have hard ons in my bed all the time. I’ve actually got one right now.” 

He said it so casually that Remus almost missed the significance. His eyes flew to Sirius’ crotch and sure enough, he had pitched a tent that would make a boy scout proud. Remus met Sirius’ gaze next, and found the other boy looking at him steadily, no trace of embarrassment on his features. 

“I, uh, don’t know what to do with that.” Remus admitted quietly. 

Sirius laughed. “You don’t have to do anything with it.”

“No!” Remus exclaimed, the flush on his face deepening. “I meant, I don’t know what to do with the information! Not with…  _ that _ .” He gestured vaguely at Sirius’ groin. 

Sirius grinned at him. “I know. I’m just fucking with you. But seriously, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you want to pretend this never happened we can, though to be honest, that’s not what I’m hoping for.”

Remus swallowed hard and licked his lips. “What are you hoping for then?” He asked while meeting Sirius’ gray eyes. 

Sirius shifted closer to him. “I was hoping I could kiss you,” he admitted. 

“Oh.” Remus had kissed girls before, but never had he considered kissing a boy. At least, not until now when he suddenly realized how badly he wanted to do just that. Still, it was probably not a smart move. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” he hedged.

“Yeah, okay, you’re probably right,” Sirius said softly. “But what if you’re wrong? What if it’s a great idea? What if everything in our whole lives has been building up to this moment? Don’t you want to find out?”

Remus huffed out a laugh. “You’re so full of shit. But yeah, I do want to find out.”

The smile that lit up Sirius’ face was breathtaking. He shuffled even closer and raised one hand to cup the side of Remus’ jaw. Sirius leaned in just enough that their breath mingled, and Remus thought his heart was going to pound out of his chest. It was a chaste kiss, just the slight pressure of Sirius’ lips against his and then Sirius pulled back, a question in his eyes. Remus didn’t even stop to think before he had grabbed Sirius by the biceps and yanked him forward, kissing him again. Sirius’ mouth opened immediately under his, their tongues sliding together and creating a growing spark inside Remus’ chest. He felt light, as though he would float away if not for the way Sirius was clutching at him. There was a sweet abandonment to it, in the way that he didn’t care about anything else in that moment. It was only Sirius’ hands and Sirius’ lips against his and nothing else mattered. 

  
  


~*~*~*~

  
  


The following afternoon, Remus was at work making breakfast sandwiches with robotic precision. He was in a terrible mood. Not only was he intensely hungover but he had gotten in such trouble when he finally made it back to the group home that morning. They were - as he knew they would be - angry that he had been out all night. They also had searched his room during his absence and confiscated all of his paint and stencils. He was essentially on house arrest (although they refused to call it that). Still, he was only allowed to leave the home for work and school and they were watching his every move. It certainly felt like being a prisoner to him, which was why he had opted to come to work even though the smell of eggs was making him queasy. 

He turned around to hand off an order to a customer, never looking up at their face until the person addressed him. 

“Hey! You’re one of the dick dudes from last night.”

Remus’ head whipped up and his eyes narrowed angrily at James Potter. “Do  _ not  _ call me that!” He hissed then looked around to see if anyone had overheard. 

James shrugged and pushed his glasses up his nose with the back of one hand. “Sorry, but I never got your name last night.”

“It’s Remus,” he said through gritted teeth. “Now go away.”

“Oh, come on. We had fun, didn’t we? I let you paint a cock on my house!” James persisted.

  
Remus glared at him. “Would you keep it down? And besides, it was  _ your  _ idea to do that!” He paused in thought. “How are you not grounded, by the way?”

James waved a dismissive hand and adjusted his glasses again. “Oh, my parents aren’t home yet, but they aren’t ever gonna find out about it. I’m going to pick up some paint and cover it over. They will never know.”

“Make sure you get some primer. That shit will never cover over without it.” Remus told him begrudgingly.

James beamed at him. “Thanks, Re!”

“It’s  _ Remus _ ,” he said grumpily. “I don’t like nicknames.”

“Okay then,  _ Remus _ . Well, I gotta run, got some painting to do. See ya!” James waved cheerily at him as he left. 

Remus rolled his eyes and looked at the clock. One more hour to go. 

  
  
  


~*~*~*~

  
  


Remus was exiting Dunkin at the end of his shift when he heard someone calling his name. He turned, still in the process of fluffing up his curls after removing his hat. Sirius was jogging toward him, a sunny smile on his face.

“Hey, I was hoping I’d run into you here,” Sirius said stopping in front of him.

Remus felt his heart speed up and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling too widely. “Hey, Sirius. What’s up?”

“I wanted to see you. I was hoping we could hang out tonight.” Sirius pushed his hair back from his face with a nonchalance that was contradicted by the intensity in his eyes.

“Oh,” Remus frowned, unsure how to proceed. 

He didn’t want to tell Sirius about the group home. The main reason he had avoided making any friends at school was because of the home. He didn’t like the idea of having to explain to others why he didn’t live in a normal home with a normal family. He especially didn’t want to have to admit it to Sirius. He should never have let him get this close in the first place. It was stupid and reckless of him. There was a reason Remus didn’t like to talk about his past. What if Sirius treated him differently for it? He didn’t think he could bear it.

“Look, I got in a lot of trouble for not coming home last night. I’m expected right back after my shift.” Remus picked at the frayed brim of his hat, searching for anything else to focus on rather than meeting Sirius’ disappointed gaze.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about that. Can I walk with you then? Or ride with you if you’re taking the bus?” Sirius asked hopefully.

Remus answered way too quickly in his alarm. “No! I mean, it’s fine, don’t bother. I’ll see you around, okay?” He turned his back on Sirius and walked away, trying to pretend that he hadn’t seen the hurt look in those gray eyes.  _ Fuck. _

  
  


~*~*~*~

  
  


Sirius felt rooted to the spot as he watched Remus walk away. He couldn’t have gotten it wrong, could he? Sure, they had both had a lot to drink last night but it had certainly seemed to him like Remus was interested. The kissing had been fantastic, and there had been  _ a lot _ of kissing. They had wound up in the middle of his bed, legs tangled together as they lay on their sides exploring each other, all tongues, lips, and teeth. Wonderful, lazy, slow, perfect kisses. Sirius was sure they had stayed up for hours mapping out every breath and sigh and it had been amazing. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so content to just  _ be  _ with someone else. Remus was funny, talented, beautiful, and - Sirius realized now - a complete mystery to him. He had let himself get caught up in the idea of something good after all the struggles with his family. 

His brother still refused to talk to him even though he knew better than anyone how much Sirius suffered at home. Regulus had witnessed first hand the way his father would hit him or his mother would tear him down. Anything that was precious to him was taken away or destroyed, and he had learned to safeguard the things he cared about. It was a relief to be out of that environment, but sometimes he still felt crushed under the weight of it. 

Sirius clenched his fists.  _ No _ . He was not going to allow himself to fall back into that pit of despair. He just needed to focus on something else. Sirius looked around and saw the familiar shock of messy black hair that was James, as he crossed the street and walked toward him. 

“Hey, it’s the other dick dude. What’s up, bro?”

Sirius raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “What the fuck?”

James was grinning at him, a paint can in each hand. He shrugged and used his arm to try to push his glasses back up his nose. “Re didn’t like it when I called him that either.” 

“ _ Re _ ?” Sirius shook his head. “Of course he didn’t like it. Would you like it?”

James shrugged again. “Well, it’s accurate - I’m a dude, I have a dick. I even painted one on my house last night.” 

Sirius laughed. “Okay, you have a point, but my name is Sirius and I prefer to go by that.”

“Fair enough. What is it then?” 

“I just told you. It’s  _ Sirius _ .”

James rolled his eyes. “Yeah dude, I  _ know _ it’s serious, but what is it?”

“Oh my god.” Sirius dropped his head into his hands and when he spoke again his voice was muffled. “Sirius, S-I-R-I-U-S. Like the star.” 

“Oookaaay, because that’s not weird at all,” James said sarcastically. “Well, come on then,  _ Sirius _ , let’s go.”

Sirius frowned in confusion. “Go where?”

“Back to my house, of course. You can help me paint over the big dick on the siding.”

Sirius let out a sigh but gestured for James to lead the way. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius teaches Remus to skateboard (or tries to) and they have a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this chapter was as quick as my last ones! I had trouble writing it for some reason but it is longer than the others. As always, I have to thank my wonderful betas, pixelated and moonllotus. Enjoy!

> Tuesday morning Remus was trudging to his first class of the day. He had been up half the night worrying that he might have completely blown whatever this thing was with Sirius. Then he would angrily remind himself that there was a reason he didn’t let people get close to him in the first place. What was it about Sirius that made all of his self preservation and common sense fly right out the window? Remus stopped short about a yard away from his classroom. 
> 
> Speak of the devil. 
> 
> There was Sirius, leaning against the wall and waiting for someone. For him? He had never noticed Sirius around campus before but it was a big school with a lot of students. What were the chances that he would just randomly appear outside Remus’ classroom now? God, he was beautiful. Sirius had one foot propped against the wall behind him and his skateboard tucked under his arm. His inky dark hair was hanging in his eyes from the downward angle to his face and his hands were stuffed in the pockets of the leather jacket he always wore. Remus steeled himself and approached him, a nervous churning in his stomach.
> 
> “Hey, Sirius,” Remus said, trying to sound casual. Even so, his breath caught in his throat when Sirius looked up at him, a smile lighting up his face.
> 
> “Remus!” Sirius pushed off the wall and closed the remaining distance between them, so that they were standing nearly toe to toe.
> 
> “What are doing here?” He didn’t mean for it to come out accusatory, but it must have given the way the smile flickered on Sirius’ face.
> 
> Sirius shifted his skateboard to his other arm and ran a hand through his hair, looking nervous for the first time. “I was waiting for you, actually. James helped me hack the school database and find your schedule.”
> 
> “Why?” This time he didn’t think his question could be mistaken for anything other than what it was - confusion. 
> 
> Sirius didn’t answer him right away. Instead he grabbed Remus’ arm and started tugging him down the hallway. Once they were outside in the courtyard, he stopped and faced Remus again. “I know you said that you couldn’t hang out since you had to go straight home. Well, I guess I’m really hoping that’s the truth and it wasn’t just your way of blowing me off. I thought maybe since you’re already out of the house… Maybe we could skip class and spend some time together now? If you want to, I mean.”
> 
> “What did you have in mind?” Remus asked, trying to act nonchalant though internally he was pumping his fists in the air.
> 
> Sirius shrugged and held up his skateboard. “We could go to the skate park. I could teach you how to skate if you wanted.”
> 
> Remus felt a thrill of excitement shoot through him at the thought of spending the day with Sirius. He had never had a particular urge to learn how to skateboard, but if he was being honest with himself, he had a rather desperate desire to have Sirius teach him.
> 
> They left the high school campus and caught the bus to The Conservancy without anyone stopping them. Sirius told him how he had bumped into James and gone back to his house to help him paint over their graffiti. 
> 
> “He’s a weird fucker, but he’s funny as hell and he’s got some good ideas,” Sirius had admitted. 
> 
> Once they were in the skate park, Remus was relieved to see that there was no one around. Of course, it wasn’t even nine in the morning, so they were the only idiots out skateboarding. Sirius directed him to a flat stretch of concrete away from the ramps and dropped his board, stopping it with his foot when it would have rolled away. 
> 
> He swiped an arm toward it and nodded at Remus. “Hop on.”
> 
> Remus place one foot on the board and was immediately surprised by how much it wobbled when he started to put his weight on it. “Holy shit,” he muttered, losing his balance and stumbling back off the board before he spent more than a few seconds on it. “How the fuck do you do that?”
> 
> Sirius laughed. “It takes some practice.” He held his hand out toward Remus. “Here, take my hand and try again.”
> 
> Remus took the offered hand and carefully stepped back onto the board. It tilted underneath him and he threw his free arm out to try and keep his balance.
> 
> “Look up, not down at your feet,” Sirius instructed. “And tighten your core.” He placed the hand that wasn’t holding Remus’ across his abs. “There ya go.”
> 
> Remus managed to keep his balance this time, and let the board coast when Sirius nudged it. He could feel the tremors rippling out from his feet and up the rest of his body when the board wobbled beneath him but he didn’t fall. Honestly though, he didn’t know how he managed to keep any of his focus on his balance when Sirius was so close to him, his hand splayed out against his stomach and it’s warmth bleeding through his shirt. He could smell the leather of his jacket and something spicier that made him want to bury his face in Sirius’ neck. He shook himself, trying to push away the images from the other night. They had been drunk then. There was no guarantee that Sirius would still want those things now. 
> 
> Remus started to lose his balance again, and Sirius stepped in closer, pressing against Remus’ back as he moved his arm up diagonally across his chest. They were about the same height with him standing on the skateboard and Remus could feel Sirius’ breath on the back of his neck. He trembled again, and this time it had nothing to do with the unsteady board beneath his feet. 
> 
> “Remus,” Sirius murmured softly into his ear. 
> 
> They weren’t moving anymore, just standing together and Remus was sure Sirius could feel his heart pounding in his chest where his hand was pressed against it. He was no longer holding him for balance though, and Remus felt Sirius’ fingers start to trace patterns across his sternum. 
> 
> He took in a ragged breath. “Yes?” 
> 
> Sirius slid his hands down to grip his hips and carefully turned him around so they were facing each other. They were nose to nose now, and Remus was startled to see how dark Sirius’ eyes looked. Sirius moved in slowly, giving Remus plenty of time to pull away if he wanted to. He didn’t even consider it. He just licked his lips in anticipation and let his eyes flutter closed. 
> 
>   
>    
> 
> 
> ~*~*~*~
> 
>   
>    
> 
> 
> Sirius was kissing Remus again and somehow it was even more intoxicating now that he was sober. He dug his fingers into the flesh at Remus’ hips and forced back a moan when Remus relaxed further into him and deepened the kiss. This was really happening and this time there was no alcohol to hide behind. He tugged Remus closer, forgetting about the skateboard he was balanced on. Remus fell into him and Sirius stumbled back under his weight, bringing his arms up around his waist to support him. He dimly heard the board skitter away from them but ignored it. Remus let out a breathy laugh and looked up at him. His lips were a bit puffy from kissing and his face was flushed. Sirius smiled at him and brought his hands up to cup Remus’ jaw, kissing him again. Remus opened his mouth to Sirius instantly, their tongues brushing together with an electric intensity that made him shiver. 
> 
> Remus pulled his mouth away much too soon for Sirius’ preference, but they were both breathing heavily and he decided to let Remus catch his breath. Sirius moved to his throat instead, pressing wet, open mouthed kisses down the length of it. Remus sighed audibly and tilted his head to give Sirius better access. He felt Remus’ hands grab the collar of his leather jacket to pull him closer and moaned against his skin. Sirius didn’t want to ever stop kissing Remus, but some distant part of his brain was aware that they were still standing in the middle of the skate park. It was not the best place for two guys to be making out, and so he reluctantly withdrew from Remus. 
> 
> “Maybe we should go somewhere else,” he suggested breathlessly. 
> 
> Remus looked at him with dark eyes and nodded, biting on his lower lip in a way that made Sirius want to lick it. “Where?”
> 
> “My place? Then maybe we can get some lunch later? I know an awesome sandwich spot.” Sirius said hopefully. 
> 
> “Alright, let’s go.”
> 
>   
>    
> 
> 
> ~*~*~*~
> 
>   
>    
> 
> 
> This time they avoided the bed. Uncle Alphard wasn’t home and it would have been easy to pass the hours exploring each other in the privacy of his room, but Sirius didn’t want to make Remus uncomfortable by suggesting it. It was fairly obvious that Remus was new to the idea of kissing another boy even if he didn’t say it, and Sirius didn’t want to push. Instead, they sat on the couch kissing languidly, and when Remus pushed Sirius back and settled over him, he welcomed it. He arched into the touch as Remus pushed his hands up under Sirius’ shirt and kissed along his neck, and he moaned when Remus ground against him, murmuring sweet words in his ear. 
> 
> An hour or two later, they finally emerged from their lustful explorations and from the house to go find lunch. Sirius had insisted that he would pay since he had invited Remus out and they walked down Thayer St to The Meeting Street Cafe. After they had both demolished their sandwiches, the conversation took a more serious turn. 
> 
> “My parents are utter shit, as I’m sure you’ve guessed,” Sirius began, looking down at his plate. “I have always been a disappointment to them, and they were quick to show me that.”
> 
> “What could possibly be so disappointing about you?” Remus asked, picking at the small scattering of chips left on his plate. 
> 
> Sirius laughed bitterly. “Well, I’m gay for one thing. They are very conservative about shit like that. They also don’t like the way I dress, or the music I listen to, or my skateboarding. My brother is the perfect son, the one who fits their mold. He has a rich girlfriend, plays on the soccer team, and dresses like a preppy asshole.”
> 
> “So they hit you?” 
> 
> Sirius picked up his napkin and started pulling strips from it. He sighed and kept his focus on his hands when he answered. “My father would hit me mostly. My mother would slap me sometimes and throw things at me, though she was more likely to spew insults and say horrible stuff. She would destroy my things, especially the ones that I really seemed to care about, like my skateboard. She busted that the day I ran off, after hitting me with it repeatedly first.” Sirius looked up at Remus and forced a smile. “Then I decided that I couldn’t take it anymore, and I left.”
> 
> Remus let out a stunned breath. “Holy shit.” He frowned in thought. “Why would they keep buying you things they hate? Just to break them? That seems excessive.”
> 
> Sirius shook his head and plucked at the napkin with more force. “My parents never bought me any of those things. Uncle Alphard did.” He gestured to the leather jacket he was wearing. “He bought me this too. I learned not to take it off because I knew the moment I did my mother would tear it to pieces.”
> 
> “Jesus,” Remus breathed, and he leaned back in his chair and stared at Sirius with wide eyes. “I’m sorry.”
> 
> Sirius shrugged. “ _ You  _ didn’t do it. Besides, I got the fuck out of there and Alphard is great. I wish my brother wasn’t pissed at me, but otherwise things are good now.” He let his gaze run over Remus where he sat across the table. “Better than good,” he added in a husky voice.
> 
> Remus blushed and cleared his throat. “I can’t believe I thought you were just a spoiled rich boy before.”
> 
> “It’s not like you had any reason to think anything else. I thought you were just a street punk.” Sirius looked down at the shredded remnants of his napkin and pushed them aside. He raised an eyebrow at Remus and leaned forward in his seat. “So what are you, Remus? What’s your story?”
> 
> Remus looked up at him with an odd expression on his face. “It’s complicated.”
> 
> Sirius rolled his eyes. “And mine isn’t? You told me before that you had no family, so tell me the rest.”
> 
> “Okay,” Remus said reluctantly. He kept his gaze locked on something behind Sirius’ left shoulder as he began speaking. “My parents were killed in a car accident roughly ten years ago now. I didn’t have any other family to take care of me, so I have been in and out of foster homes since then.”
> 
> “That doesn’t sound complicated to me. It sounds shitty, but not complicated,” Sirius pointed out. “So it’s your foster parents that grounded you for staying out all night?”
> 
> Remus looked uncomfortable but nodded, still averting his eyes from Sirius’ gaze. “Yeah. They also found all of my spray paint and supplies and took them away. It took me ages to be able to buy all of that stuff.”
> 
> Sirius frowned at him. “Don’t they give you an allowance or something?”
> 
> “No. They buy me the basic things I need. Clothes, books, supplies for school, but I don’t get anything extra for frivolous things.”
> 
> The way Remus said ‘frivolous’ made Sirius think that he was quoting something he had heard them say several times before. There was another question coming up in his mind too. “Wait. Your parents died when you were about six, right? So why all the foster homes? There has to be people out there wanting to adopt a six year old.”
> 
> Remus looked down at his hands and Sirius saw the muscles in his jaw tighten. “If there is I never found them.”
> 
> Sirius sighed and reached across the table to stroke the back of Remus’ hand. “I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about it. I just feel like we barely know each other.”
> 
> “Yeah, I know.” Remus rubbed his free hand across his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. “What else did you want to know then?”
> 
> “Hmmm, let’s see. How did you learn to paint? I’m assuming that the foster care system doesn’t allow for art classes,” Sirius said with a sad smile.
> 
> Remus snorted with bitter amusement and gave Sirius a wry smile. “No, of course not. I’m self taught really. I’ve watched a ton of YouTube videos and looked up a lot of artists online. It would be awesome to take a proper class some day, or even to be able to use proper materials. I paint on buildings because that’s what I have access to. I can’t afford to spend money on canvases or oil paints or any of that stuff, but I can spare a few bucks here and there for the spray paints and I work with a guy that will buy them for me.” 
> 
> Sirius squeezed Remus’ hand. “I can help, you know.”
> 
> “I don’t want charity,” Remus said shaking his head.
> 
> “Everybody needs help sometimes, Remus,” Sirius told him.
> 
> Remus smiled at him, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes, and Sirius swore that he had never seen anything more heartbreakingly perfect in all his life. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius and James band together to show Remus that he’s not alone anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys, I present you with the final chapter of Runaway! Thank you so much to all my readers that have followed this story with me. All the kind comments have been wonderful and I’m so happy that everyone liked this so much! 
> 
> Big thanks as always to my betas, pixelated and moonllotus! I couldn’t have done this without them!

Sirius was stretched across a hammock in James’ backyard. He was swinging lazily back and forth, but his outward demeanor was a stark contrast to his internal thoughts. He hadn’t properly seen Remus since they skipped school last week. That had been a great day and he felt like he knew Remus better than before but there was still something bothering him, niggling at the back of his mind. Every time he saw Remus at school or his work, it was because Sirius had made the effort to seek him out. Remus still couldn’t hang out during any of his free time since he was still grounded. That was fine, Sirius understood, but whenever he offered to come to Remus’ place instead, he was shot down quickly. It was making him suspicious. Why wouldn’t Remus tell him where he lived? Was it that bad? Or was he ashamed of him? 

Sirius had been spending more time with James lately too. He had gotten to know the kid quite well over the last few days. James was certainly a lot more open about himself and his life than Remus was. Then again, James had a perfect life. He had nothing he needed to hide. His parents were loving and affectionate, and they gave him the world. Despite that and the obvious money that his family had, James was an honest, funny, casual guy. He didn’t act like a lot of the other rich kids Sirius had grown up around. He liked to joke, play pranks, and break the rules, but he was never mean spirited. They had bonded over these things, and James was quick to help when Sirius mentioned needing to know Remus’ school schedule. The fact that it took little effort at all for James to hack into the school database and find Remus’ information had been staggering to Sirius. James was smart, though he downplayed it with all of his jokes and ridiculous behavior. 

Sirius sighed in frustration and struggled to sit up in the hammock.

James looked over at him from his seat in the grass and raised his eyebrows. “What’s up?”

“It’s just… why doesn’t he want to tell me where he lives?” Sirius vented in annoyance.

James looked puzzled. “Who? Remus?”

“Yeah. Who else?” Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

“I don’t know, dude.” James shrugged at Sirius and then frowned. “Wait, you don’t know where he lives?”

“No!” Sirius exclaimed. “I keep offering to go to his house since he’s not allowed to be out after school or work but he keeps shooting me down!”

“Huh,” James said thoughtfully. “I know where he lives.”

Sirius looked at James in disbelief. “What? How?”

James shrugged again and pushed his glasses up his nose. “I hacked into his school file, remember? His address is in there too.”

“Holy shit!” Sirius fought to get out of the hammock but got tangled up in his haste and ended up falling on the ground in a heap. “Why didn’t you say that before?”

“I thought you knew,” James explained. “I didn’t think much of it.”

Sirius punched James on the shoulder in irritation. He couldn’t believe it that James had known the entire time while he was agonizing over it. “What is it then?”

“What?” James asked, wrinkling his brow.

“Where does he live, you dumb fuck!” 

“Oh, that.” James waved a dismissive hand at Sirius. “He lives at the  _ Turning The Corner _ group home on Elmwood Avenue.”

Sirius was so floored by this news that he didn’t have a response at first. Remus had told him he was in a foster home, but he had said nothing at all about the group home. It explained so much though— the strict rules on when he could go out, the lack of any extra spending money, and even why he didn’t want Sirius to visit him. Sirius didn’t care where he lived, but Remus was obviously ashamed of it. James didn’t care where Remus lived either. He had known for the last week and thought so little of it that it hadn’t even been worth a mention in his mind. Remus was still Remus, regardless of where he lived.

Sirius stood up from his spot on the ground, yanking James with him. “Come on, James. We are going to see Remus.”

“Umm… Okay?” James agreed, though he clearly didn’t understand the significance. “Now?”

“Yes, now,” Sirius insisted. “Remus, the dumbass, didn’t want me to know where he lives. Probably because he thought I would think less of him for it. Well, I don’t and neither do you. We are going to tell him that so he can stop acting like an idiot.”

It took Sirius and James forty minutes on the city bus to get to the group home. When they arrived in front of the building, they just stared at it for a bit. Sirius hadn’t known what to expect— he had never imagined what a group home would be like before. It had never even been on his radar. Looking at it now though, he couldn’t help but think that it didn’t look anything like a home. It consisted of two large buildings with a sign out front announcing it as “ _ Turning The Corner, Residential Treatment Programs”.  _ It looked like an office building or a convenience store; like something commercial, not a home for teenage boys. 

Sirius exchanged frowns with James. “I guess we just walk in the front door?” Sirius suggested dubiously.

James shrugged his shoulders and pushed his glasses up his nose. “I guess?” 

The two boys walked through what appeared to be the main entrance and found themselves in an odd sort of lobby/living room combination. There were chairs and couches with tables and a flat-screen TV on the wall, but there was also a desk with a woman behind it. She was looking at them expectantly, so Sirius approached her and ignored the gazes from the other people in the room. He had determined at first glance that Remus wasn’t among them, and that was all he cared about.

“Hi, uh, we’re friends of Remus. Is he here?” Sirius asked her, making sure to plaster a friendly smile on his face.

  
  


~*~*~*~

  
  


Remus was sitting in his room at the group home, sketching a new mural idea in the back of his biology notebook. It was Thursday afternoon and he wasn’t scheduled to work. His ‘probation’ didn’t end until Saturday morning, so that meant he was stuck hanging around the home for the night. He hated staying here and hated spending time in the common areas where he always felt like he was being analyzed, which was why when he was forced to be here he usually hid in his room as often as possible. Usually, no one bothered him there. As long as he was where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there, the aides generally left him to himself. The other residents had also learned to leave him alone having decided long ago that he wasn’t worth befriending, so he was surprised when there was a knock at his door. His head jerked up as the door creaked open, and an aide named Peter stuck his head in the room.

“Hey, Remus, there are a couple of guys out in the common area saying they’re friends of yours,” Peter told him before retreating down the hall, leaving his door cracked open.

Remus frowned at Peter’s back before slowly getting to his feet and heading out himself. There wasn’t anyone who could be asking for him. He didn’t have any friends except-  _ oh shit _ . He started walking faster. Sirius couldn’t be out there, could he? How could he have possibly found out where he was? And what would Remus do if it was him?

His quick pace slowed as he reached the entrance to the common area and saw two familiar boys standing in front of Rosemerta’s desk. Sirius  _ and _ James were here. And were they  _ flirting  _ with her? Sirius certainly seemed to be laying on the charm. He was leaning against the desk, leaning in toward her with a winning smile on his face while she giggled at his antics. A scowl darkened Remus’ face as he watched Sirius reach out and touch her hand lightly. Oddly enough, it was his outrage at this that propelled him the last few steps into the room. 

Remus strode right up to Sirius, his hands curled into fists at his sides and his whole body tense. “What are you doing here?” 

If Sirius was taken aback by his hostility, he didn’t show it. He just smiled at him and draped an arm across Remus’ shoulders. “Remus! Rosie here was just assuring us that it would be okay if you left the home for a bit.”

“I… what?” Remus asked, a confused frown replacing his angry scowl. Rosemerta knew that he wasn’t allowed any unscheduled leaves until Saturday. Remus and the other residents had to sign in and out with her whenever they left the home. Yet, when his questioning gaze landed on her, she just smiled blandly at him. He looked back at Sirius and James. They were grinning at him. He shrugged. “Alright then.”

Remus let Sirius push him out the door and onto the sidewalk before he stopped and turned on him and James. “What are you  _ doing _ here? How did you even find out?”

“We’re here for you, of course,” Sirius said in an infuriatingly calm tone. “James found out where you lived when he hacked into your school file.”

Remus turned his glare on James who smiled sheepishly and gave him a weak wave. He looked back at Sirius and swallowed thickly before speaking. “So, what? You’ve come to tell me that you don’t want anything to do with me now? Or to laugh at me?”

Sirius gaped at him. “Why the fuck would you think that?”

“It’s what most people do,” Remus said bitterly.

“When have I ever been  _ most people _ ?” Sirius asked, sounding hurt. He pointed at James. “And this dickweed certainly isn’t like most people. We don’t give a shit where you live Remus. We like you.  _ I _ like you.”

“Oh,” Remus said rather dumbly. “Okay then.”

“Okay,” James said cheerfully, clapping his hands. “Now that we have that settled, let’s go!”

“Go where?” Remus asked.

James put a hand on his back and steered him toward the street. “Well, my dude, Sirius and I have an awesome prank planned, so we are going to go get supplies.”

Remus was still feeling a bit dazed, but he allowed Sirius and James to lead him back to the bus stop and onto the next bus heading toward the art college. They rode mostly in silence, though Sirius did twine their fingers together and hold his hand for the entire ride.

When they got off the bus, James led them straight into an art supply shop that practically made Remus’ mouth water at the sight of so many different paints and brushes. They wandered about the store, James and Sirius asking him constant questions about what type of paint he would use for this type of canvas, or what type of brushes did he think were the best for acrylics. He answered them all to the best of his ability and let them pile more and more items into his arms, though he couldn’t understand what kind of prank they could be planning. Finally, James announced that they had enough and they brought the whole lot up to the counter. Remus nearly fainted at the amount the cashier named but Sirius and James didn’t so much as bat an eye. They just put their heads together for a moment, muttering to each other before thrusting a wad of cash at the bemused woman.

Once they were out of the shop and back on the street laden down with several bags, Remus asked the question that had been eating at him. “What kind of prank could you possibly need all these art supplies for?”

James and Sirius grinned at him, practically buzzing with excitement. “The best kind, my dude. The most successful pranks happen when the person being pranked doesn’t suspect a thing,” James said. 

Remus shook his head. “I don’t get it.”

Sirius laughed. “It’s for you, Remus.”

The two boys shoved the bags at him and he grasped them just in time to keep the contents from spilling onto the street. He looked up at them in stunned disbelief. “Are you two crazy? This stuff cost a ton!”

James shrugged. “To be honest, I have more money than I know what to do with. I’d rather you have something that makes you happy.” He smiled widely. “But I do expect you to paint me something that will be worth millions one day.”

“Besides,” Sirius added. “What are friends for if we can’t help each other out?”

~*~*~*~

  
  


It was Saturday night. Waterplace Park and the riverfront downtown had been completely transformed by fire. All of the braziers floating above the river surface had been lit, as well as the torches along the edge of the water. There were entertainers both juggling and swallowing flames, and fire tenders traveled in small boats to feed the braziers and keep them lit. Global music was playing throughout the area and fragrant wood smoke wafted amongst the onlookers in the flickering firelight. There were vendors selling glow in the dark trinkets and various souvenirs as well as food trucks lining the streets.

Despite all his years living in the city, Remus had never been to WaterFire before. He had always scoffed at the idea, believing that it was a stupid past time. He couldn’t have been more wrong, though it seemed that he had been wrong about a lot of things lately. Downtown had never looked more beautiful and full of life as it did right then, and he desperately wanted to paint it. The same could also be said for Sirius as he walked beside him. He had a smile on his face as he turned toward Remus, the firelight reflected in his eyes as he took Remus’ hand in his and dragged him toward one of the vendor stalls. Sirius thrusted a light-up necklace upon him and donned a pair of fluorescent glasses himself. Remus raised his eyebrows in question. 

“Now we look appropriately festive for the last WaterFire of the year,” Sirius explained with a laugh. “Come on, we need one more thing.”

Remus followed him curiously, still looking around at the spectacle surrounding them. They stopped in front of a food truck where Sirius ordered them each a fried dough topped with a generous amount of powdered sugar. They took their treats to a relatively quiet spot and climbed up onto the brick wall overlooking the river. Remus ate his snack in peaceful silence with Sirius while they watched the crowds move below them. 

Remus felt the light pressure of Sirius’ hand on his cheek and turned to face him. Sirius smiled and leaned in to kiss him. Remus met Sirius’ lips with his own as his heart soared in his chest. He had finally found one moment when everything felt right. He didn’t think he could ever forget this feeling of belonging and acceptance. Remus couldn’t help but think that maybe now with Sirius by his side, his future looked as bright as the firelight surrounding them.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you like it! Reviews give me the motivation to keep writing!
> 
> Follow me on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/gooseberrybrains).


End file.
